Tattooing and Body Piercing: Niagara Region

Tattooing and
Body Piercing:
COVID-19 Prevention Checklist
When providing a tattoo or piercing, staff and clients can be in close contact. The virus can
spread from respiratory droplets and shared surfaces of a person with COVID-19. This is a
summary checklist of required measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Please review the
Niagara Region COVID-19 Guidelines for Personal Service Settings for more information on how
to keep your employees and clients safe. Please note that the requirements under the Ontario
Personal Service Settings Regulation 136/18 still apply.

   *NOTE: The following guidance are minimum requirements, businesses are
   encouraged to create their own internal policies and procedures to ensure the
   health and safety of clients and staff are maintained.

For premises that utilize an autoclave on-site, one mandatory requirement will be the submission
of three negative spore test results prior to resuming the use of on-site autoclave(s) for
sterilization of instruments/equipment. The qualification testing requires running three fully loaded,
consecutive cycles with the appropriate chemical and biological (spore test) challenges,
following the manufacturer’s instructions for the placement of the chemical and biological
indicators. The autoclave(s) is not to be used to reprocess instruments/equipment until the results
of the three spore tests are available and verified to be negative by a public health inspector.
While awaiting the results, operators are permitted to use multi-use instruments that have
been previously sterilized on-site and/or sterile single-use instruments until the autoclave(s) are
appropriately qualified.

A. Staff Health & Screening
    Staff are advised to report illness to their supervisor/manager and to stay home if sick

    Staff are screened for COVID-19 symptoms before starting each shift

    Staff are advised to go home right away and self-isolate if they become ill during a
    shift. Instruct staff to call Niagara Region COVID-19 line, their health care provider or
    an assessment centre to get tested.

    Staff are trained on the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including
    putting on and taking off gloves, masks/face coverings, face shields/goggles, and
    gowns, if worn

niagararegion.ca/health
Created June 2020. Information regarding COVID-19 is fluid and rapidly changing.
Guidance from the Federal and Provincial governments change often.

Eye protection (face shield/goggles) is recommended to be worn while providing
    services

    Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, face coverings/masks, and
    eye protection (face shield/goggles) are available on-site for all staff at all times.
    Operators are required to provide/ ensure there is adequate PPE for staff.

    Re-usable face shield/goggles are assigned to one staff, and cleaned and
    disinfected between use

     Staff are trained on proper hand hygiene techniques and respiratory etiquette

    Staff launder their clothing after each shift or wear a protective cover over clothing
    and launder after each shift

B. Signage at the Premises

    Signage for COVID-19 symptom screening poster for building entrances

    Clients with COVID-19 signs and symptoms and/or who have been in contact with
    someone with COVID-19 are not permitted to enter the premises

    Signage for hand hygiene, hand hygiene with ABHR and respiratory etiquette is posted
    at the entrance and throughout the premises

    Visual cues such as floor stickers or tape lines physical distancing signage are
    available in highly visible areas to remind clients to keep two metres/six feet apart
    from others at all times

C. Number of People in the Premises

    The number of staff and clients is restricted to ensure ease of movement and to
    maintain two metres/six feet between people

    Flexible work schedules and staggered lunch and break times are implemented to
    limit the number of people in the premises at one time

D. Scheduling Appointments

    Clients must wear a face covering/mask for the duration of their appointment except
    while receiving services on an area of their face that would otherwise be covered by a
    face covering/mask

niagararegion.ca/health
Created June 2020. Information regarding COVID-19 is fluid and rapidly changing.
Guidance from the Federal and Provincial governments change often.

Clients are advised that all consultations for a tattoo or body piercing must be done
    online or over the phone before coming to the studio. Appointments will be made for
    providing the service only.

    Client appointments are scheduled by phone or online. Walk-in clients are asked to
    call from outside the premises to make an appointment.

    Waiting areas are not permitted. Clients are instructed to wait outside of the premises
    until their scheduled appointment.

    Clients are screened for symptoms of COVID-19 by staff when booking appointments
    and upon arrival. Clients are not permitted to bring guests, including children, unless
    they also have an appointment.

    Records of staff and client contact information (e.g., full name, telephone/email),
    including date and time at premises, are maintained on-site for contact tracing
    purposes, should the need arise

    There is enough time between appointments to ensure thorough cleaning and
    disinfection of equipment and workstations between clients

E. Workstations

    Workstations and equipment in use must be two metres/six feet apart or equipped
    with barriers/dividers that are adequate in height to ensure the protection between
    clients and staff

    Alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) with 60-90% (preferably 70-90% alcohol
    concentration) is available at each workstation, and staff and clients are encouraged
    to use it frequently before/after appointment, between tasks

    Magazines, tattoo/piercing books, brochures, decor and other unnecessary items
    should be removed

    Workstations have their own products and tools, and are not shared between staff

F. Providing Services

    Staff and clients must wear a face covering/mask at all times throughout the service,
    except while clients are receiving services on an area of their face that would
    otherwise be covered by a face covering/mask

     Face shield/goggles are recommended to be worn by staff when providing a service

niagararegion.ca/health
Created June 2020. Information regarding COVID-19 is fluid and rapidly changing.
Guidance from the Federal and Provincial governments change often.

Premises has disposable masks available to provide to clients when needed

    Face-to-face contact with clients is limited as much as possible. Services on the face are
    not permitted.

    Clients are not permitted to handle stencils, ink or jewellery. A two metre/six foot
    distance or a barrier/divider should be used when viewing items.

    Gloves are changed and discarded immediately, and hands are cleaned (using soap/
    water or ABHR) when changing tasks, after each client, or more often as necessary

    Single-use items discarded immediately after each client

    Client food/beverages are not recommended

    Credit/debit/e-transfers with no signature transactions are preferred. Barriers/dividers
    are used when the two metre/six foot distance cannot be maintained. ABHR is used
    before and after each cash transaction.

H. Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection

    Work surfaces and equipment are thoroughly cleaned with soap and water before using
    a product for disinfection

    Surface and equipment disinfectants are used after cleaning, and according to the
    manufacturer’s instructions

    Barriers and dividers must be protective, stable and made of a material that can be
    easily cleaned and disinfected

    Disposable covers are discarded immediately after use. Chairs, head, armrests, squeeze
    bottles, are cleaned and disinfected between clients.

    Frequent and thorough daily environmental cleaning and disinfection is maintained.
    This includes high touch surfaces such as phones, computers, pens, cash register, credit
    card machine and door handles.

    Washroom surfaces are cleaned and disinfected at least twice a day or as often as
    necessary

niagararegion.ca/health
Created June 2020. Information regarding COVID-19 is fluid and rapidly changing.
Guidance from the Federal and Provincial governments change often.

Service specific requirements and checklists are provided for
the following sectors:
• Manicure/pedicure and aesthetic services • Hairstyling and barbering

    To Download and Print Posters for your Workplace
    Please Visit Niagara Region’s COVID-19 Resource Page

Other Resources
Guide to Infection Prevention and Control in Personal Service Settings, 3rd Edition

Province of Ontario Guidance to Prevent COVID-19 in the Workplace

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety COVID-19 Tip Sheets

Operators who require support locating personal protection equipment can review the
provincial supplier directory found here.

For more information, call the Info-Line at 905-688-8248 press 7,
then press 3 or toll-free at 1-888-505-6074.

niagararegion.ca/health
Created June 2020. Information regarding COVID-19 is fluid and rapidly changing.
Guidance from the Federal and Provincial governments change often.